MAJOR ELEMENTS
OF BIBLE COVENANTS
GOD'S COVENANT WITH ISRAEL,
THE LAW COVENANT
The Law Covenant completely
restricted the covenant people to the nation of Israel: to those who are "of
faith" of the nation of Israel and whoever of the Gentiles who desired to worship
the God of Israel according to the Law Covenant, Exo 12:43-39; Lev 11; 20:22-26; Lev
16. The covenant with Adam was set aside and there were no longer the head of family
preisthoods that were established under the Adamic Covenant. Some features of that
covenant were intended to continue in the following covenants, such as the curse upon
the earth, the covenant promises, faithfulness, strict adherence to most covenant
stipulations, justice, mercy, love, etc.
I. COVENANT OFFER TO ISRAEL
The covenant offer was tendered to
Israel by covenant instructions and a command to perform the covenant requirements.
This began with instruction to Israel through Moses during the plagues upon Egypt, and
especially with the Passover and the exodus from Egypt across the Red Sea, Exodus
chapters 1 through 14.
A. Covenant Work Description.
This work statement is not found as
such in any of the covenants, but is "gleaned" especially from the Law
Covenant and New Covenant writings. See the revised covenant with Adam.
- God's Part of the Covenant Work.
- God will serve as God and Judge of all covenant work performance. Nothing can be
done by Satan and his angels without God's permission, Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6.
- Hear and give permission or reject Satan's requests to tempt the covenant
people and all other such matters with regard to the nations, 1Ch 21:1; Job 1:6; 2:1;
Luk 22:31-32; Rev 12:10; Dan 10:12-21.
- Hear Satan's accusations against the covenant people, Rev 12:10.
- Hear the intercessions of the covenant priests and the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:26-27,34;
Heb 7:25), make decisions, command actions to be taken, and require the court of heaven
to record all actions according to covenant stipulations, Psa 56:8; 139:16; Ecc
12:13-14; Dan 7:9-10; Mal 3:16; 2Co 5:10; Eph 1:4,11; Rev 11:18; 13:8; 20:11-15.
- Reveal excellences of His Person:
- Through the Son, Joh 14:6-11: Col 2:9; Heb 1:3-12.
- Through angels, Gen 3:24; Dan 7:9-10; Eze 1; 2Th 1:7-9.
- Through men, Heb 11; 1Co 15:1-2,44-45; Jud 14-15.
- Through nature, Gen 3:17-19; 6:17; 19; Exo 5-10.
- Reveal exceeding sinfulness of sin, Rom 1:21-32; 7:8-25.
- Reveal covenant information and knowledge, Phi 2:11; Luk 2:40,46-49; 4:22; Joh
5:19-20,30.
- Ensure that all covenant stipulations are precisely fulfilled. This means that His
counsel, purpose, and pleasure are fulfilled, all of which is included in the master
covenant before creation, Isa 46:9-11.
- Visit, fellowship, and teach the priests, prophets, kings, and people what they
need to know, Gen 3:8-24; 4:1-16; 5:22; 6:9; Heb 11.
- Protect them, accept their worship, bless them greatly as they kept the covenant
and obeyed Him, but punish them severely according to their sins, Deu 28; Heb 2:2.
- Give instructions for the tabernacle (temple), the Levitical priesthood, the
ministry of the priest, and worship services, Exodus & Leviticus, especially.
- Give instructions and laws governing and emphasizing the covenant people's
standing as God's firstborn people, Exo 11; 12; 13; Num 3; 8:16-18; Deu 21:15-17;
See firstborn, firstlings, firstfruits, and firstripe.
- Give instructions and laws governing what was to be counted as clean and unclean
among animals, fowls, and fish and the meaning of such, Lev 11; 20:22-26.
- Give instructions and laws governing sacrifices and ceremonies for cleansing from
uncleannesses, Lev 15; Num 19; Leviticus through Deuteronomy.
- Give instructions and laws governing being an unleavened, holy people, Exo
12:15-20; 19:6; Lev 20; Exodus through Deuteronomy.
- Give instructions and laws governing political, social, and religious life, Lev 20:
Leviticus through Deuteronomy.
- Give instructions and laws governing equitable judgments and punishments concerning
offenses of various kinds, Lev 20; Leviticus through Deuteronomy.
- Give instructions and laws governing numerous sacrifices, feasts, Sabbaths, and
ceremonies with prophetic applications, Leviticus chapters 1 through 8; 23; Num 28
& 29; Exodus through Deuteronomy.
- For the covenant promises and other details, see the New Covenant at the end of
this book.
- Israel's Part of the Covenant Work.
- Worship God with animal sacrifices according to the covenant to portray the future
death of Christ for covenant redemption, Gen 3:21; 4:1-7; Heb 11:4; Joh 1:29; 1Pe
1:18-20.
- Build the tabernacle (later the temple), establish the Levitical priesthood, and
perform all the ordinances required by the covenant, Gen 4:1-7; Jos 1:5-9.
- Study the covenants, especially the Law Covenant, with the greatest diligence and
care in order to know them thoroughly, including the spiritual meaning, Deu 6:4-9; Jos
1:5-9.
- Obey the requirements of the Law Covenant meticulously in every respect by grace
through faith, Deu 30:8-20.
- Worship God by faithfully teaching and training the children in such a way as to
maintain a clear knowledge and practice of covenant requirements, Gen 4:1-7; Deu
6:4-9.
B. God's Command to Believe and Obey According to the Covenant
Requirements.
Israel did initially believe and
obey according to covenant requirements, though there were various moments of lack of
faith for which hey were punished. As stated before, it was necessary for each person
to believe and obey when they came to the age of accountability, Rom 7:9. With
recurring and more blatant periods of lack of faith and disobedience, God punished them
more and more severely until they rejected and crucified the covenant Redeemer and now
exist under bitter covenant punishment until Christ returns, Mat 23:37-39.
II. COVENANT ACCEPTANCE BY ISRAEL
Israel accepted God's covenant
offer by believing and obeying God through the words of Moses, and as a result they
witnessed God's terrible plagues on Egypt while the plagues did not touch them as
the covenant people. They believed, obeyed, and left Egypt as God's promised and
treasured covenant people by crossing the Red Sea under the mighty saving yet
destructive hand of their covenant God.
III. COVENANT LEGALITY
God is perfect in righteousness, Mat
5:48. All His ways, His works, and indeed His Word (in Its entirety) express His
covenants and are all righteous and perfect altogether. "...God is light and in
Him is no darkness at all," 1Jo 1:5; Psa 18:30,32; 19:7.
IV. COVENANT CAPACITY
Israel was NOT able to perform the
Law Covenant work requirements in the flesh. This is what God required of them
constantly every day in order to prove to them that they were not able to keep the
perfect requirement of the Law Covenant. But then, through the sacrifices God offered
them "grace through faith" by which they could keep the righteousness of that
covenant, Luk 1:5-6; Rom 8:4.
V. COVENANT CONSIDERATION TO ISRAEL
Covenant consideration to Abraham
and his seed was expressed in the form of covenant PROMISES. See New Covenant at the
end of this book.
VI. COVENANT RATIFICATION BY ISRAEL
Israel ratified the Law Covenant by
believing and obeying God by grace through faith, as stated under "covenant
acceptance" above. They also ratified the covenant by the required animal
sacrifices being offered and their blood being sprinkled on the covenant, on the
tabernacle, and on the people, Heb 9:14-22.
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